Ok Im in the middle of my end of the year last 3 race events, 1 down 2 to go, wish me and my budget home garage built car some luck!
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Ok Im in the middle of my end of the year last 3 race events, 1 down 2 to go, wish me and my budget home garage built car some luck!
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Good luck dude! Great build I love the car :)
After a ten hour drive, we were up early to get to GoodGuys in time for a good pit spot.
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We took some shortcuts through parking lots and a gravel field (yes, I drove my car through gravel) to get to the gate as they were still setting up the timing and equipment.
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It was looking like beautiful weather - perfect for racing as we started taking off sweatshirts after the first run.
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After about six runs on Friday the competition was heating up. By the end of the day, I just managed to squeak out a small lead.
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Come Saturday I had thought about the track all night and re-walked the course with a new attitude. After two runs I was able to further drop my times by a few tenths but Jeff Schwartz of famed Schwartz Performance and his 'Temptress' were chasing me down with a vengeance.
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So like all movie endings, the event came down to the last run of the day. At this point, I'd already had my turn and Jeff Schwartz was approaching the line with consistent improvements in runs prior. I had to turn my back. I heard the turns, listening for loose rubber or cone killing.... none. More turns and he's hitting the serpentine directly behind me when... I hear some skidding...then the deafening recognizable sound of a cone hit. I looked. Jeff had hit a cone and I knew the win was mine.
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How do you get excited when your win means a really nice guy just lost?
How do you cheer when someone hits a cone?
I felt bad for Jeff but was so relieved to know that I had successfully pulled off my first AutoCross win - and a win at at Nationals. Time started to fly by and it was Johnnie Hunkins asking for my jacket size, GoodGuys asking about my car and time to run one last time around the course before the end of the day. GoodGuys wanted to take pictures and all I wanted to do was keep driving!
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It hasn't quite set in yet but I'm sure it will when I hit DelMar and have the honor to run with the 'Pros' -- and get my ass kicked all over again. See you in Del Mar?
Congratulations! I have seen Jeff drive. A few times at Car Craft in St Paul which is a tight course a little bit larger than a postage stamp, he is always right in the top tier. Great job!
Congrats on your win Rodney, it was great meeting you and your wife, thanks for the driving tips and the ride along, so glad to see how similar our cars suspensions are and how well it can work with the right driving technique. Good luck in Del Mar.
Congrats! Really enjoyed reading your last post. I think you're ready to write for a magazine.
Would love to do that. When is it?
Saw the car at good guys yesterday, looked great man!!
It's was great to also meet you, your brother and you're lovely wife Amanda, keep driving hard my friend you really knocked those times down to top ranked times, just remember the basic secret squirrel stuff I told you about the car set up and driving and most of all just have fun
Rod, man you stud... very happy for you. Great job dude.
Congrats! See you at Del mar.
Friday morning 6:37am in del mar and first thing on my list is to write on Chad Reynolds back window of the bangshift truck "wash me Chad" and off to the races! Wish me luck!
Ha Ha, good luck man, have a great weekend, wish I could have made it there.
go get em Rodney!!!! way to go
Just as I left off in a prior post I left the hotel at 6:37am and wrote a freind of mine (Chad Reynolds)a note on his rear window
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I walked the track in the morning twice and found a few lines that I would try here and there thruout the day to see what helped the times
At the track the morning crowds were looking good
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afternoon on friday, the times looked fine and I didnt need to run any of the lines I found in the morning and was holding just fine
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On Saturday the group started off running times for warm-ups just as fast as we finished with and then Brett Vokel threw down the hammer!
and ran a 54.xxx time!!! some were he found a 3 second short cut? wow!
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then Rob Mcgregor in Hellboy ran a crazy 56.517 lap!! jumping into 2nd, oh damn I am in for it now
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thats when I new I had to put on my big boy pants and run my lines and show my hand and I threw down a 55.953 to get back into second
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Then Rob ran again and Hellboy pushed a 55.522 run to take back second
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I knew it was my last time to beat-up on those Optima cars with my home built 68 Camaro!! and I ran a 55.732 but it wasnt enough, I needed just a few more ponies on the track, but My little car known as Plain Jane dosn't know any better so she just keeps chasing down any thing I put in front of her!!
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it was a great weekend with good friends and some more made! and on a side note in street machine My Girlfriend came in 5th place chasing down John Hotchkis, finishing on the leader board at HER FIRST EVENT! she was awesome! Thanks to Brett and Rob for making the race fun and extra thanks to Rob for allowing me to help with the Wounded Warrior Project all weekend! see everyone at the track